1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a compactly constructed air conditioning apparatus for cars. More particularly, it relates to an improvement in a single integral type air conditioning apparatus for cars aiming at reduction in size and weight of the apparatus as well as living comfortableness for the next-to-driver's seat by elimination of a casing whose exclusive use is a heat exchanger for cooling and a reduction in pressure loss of intake air by elimination of the ducts connecting among an air intake fan, a heat exchanger for warming and the heat exchanger for cooling.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventionally, the air conditioning apparatus for cars has been of such a construction and layout in the vehicle cabin as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing. That is to say, in FIG. 1, a fan unit 4 having internal and external air inlet ports, a damper 8a, and an air intake fan 1; a cooling unit 5 having a heat-exchanger 2 for cooling and a casing; and a warming unit 6 having a heat exchanger 3 for warming, an air mixing damper 8b, an air mixing chamber a, and dampers 8c, 8d and 8e, each having its corresponding air blow-off port arranged in sequence from the side next-to-driver's seat. And, these units 4, 5 and 6 are connected to one another with ducts 7a and 7b so that they may be in the arrangement and construction in the vehicle cabin as shown in FIG. 2.
According to such arrangement and construction as mentioned above, the fan unit 4 is disposed to the extreme side of the vehicle body beyond the next-to-driver's seat, the cooling unit 5 is disposed almost in the front position of the next-to-driver's seat, and the warming unit 6 is arranged substantially at the center of the vehicle cabin. That is, all these units are layed out beneath the instrument panel 9 of the vehicle, so that one half of the instrument panel from the center part of the vehicle cabin to the side of the next-to-driver's seat is inevitably occupied by the air conditioning apparatus. In such construction of the conventional air conditioning apparatus, living comfortableness of the next-to-driver's seat is inevitably sacrified, which gives considerable impact on the shape of the instrument panel 9. Further, the air course of the intake air becomes longer to cause increase in the pressure loss.